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18 November 2008 "Friends of Ronaldo" win sixth Match Against Poverty
New York – About 20,000 spectators were on hand to watch the sixth Match Against Poverty in Fès, Morocco,
where the "Friends of Ronaldo" defeated the "Friends of Zinédine Zidane," 6-5. Ronaldo et Zidane,
both UNDP Goodwill Ambassadors, again assumed the role of captain for their respective teams, which were composed of 45 notable
international football players – including Brazilian striker Marta, the best female football player in the world and the first
woman to play in the Match Against Poverty. "To be here in North Africa is extremely special for me because of
my [Algerian] origin," Zidane said before the match. "This occasion permits us to promote positive messages,
which is very important for us," Ronaldo added. The Match Against Poverty was covered by 250 journalists and broadcast
live in more than 20 countries. The primary objective of the event was to mobilize the public in the fight against
poverty and to promote the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which seek to halve world poverty by 2015. The match in Fès
was the first in a series of eight games, each promoting one of the eight goals. Between 2008 and 2015, the target date
for accomplishing the MDGs, the proceeds from each game will go to projects which address the goal highlighted. In Fès, the
theme was centered on the first Goal: to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. The funds will be allocated to UNDP anti poverty
projects around the world, including a national project in Morocco. Rosters: Friends of Ronaldo:
Codina; Sousa, Al Jaber, Sun Jihai, Miguel Torres; Pere Marti, Ivan Leko, Angel; Arango, Ronaldo y Makukula. Also played:
Marta, Naybet, Mane, Tarik, Dida, El Zhar, Callejón, Daniel Chávez, Trejo, Caca and David Bustamante. Video: Watch the public service announcement
promoting the Match Against Poverty |
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